Snow Blower Shovel Attachment Apparatus

ABSTRACT

A snow blower shovel attachment apparatus for using a snow blower as a plow for wet snow includes a frame coupled to a shovel blade. The frame has a horizontal portion extending from a back face of the shovel blade and a vertical portion extending from the horizontal portion to above a top edge of the shovel blade. A plurality of attachment brackets is coupled to the frame. The plurality of attachment brackets includes a pair of upper attachment brackets coupled to a top end of the vertical portion of the frame and a pair of lower attachment brackets coupled to a bottom end of the vertical portion of the frame. The upper attachment brackets pivotably engage an auger housing of a snow blower and the lower attachment brackets selectively engage the auger housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR ASA TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to snow shovel devices and more particularlypertains to a new snow shovel device for using a snow blower as a plowfor wet snow.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to snow shovel devices and attachments to snowblowers. Some existing devices are fixed in front of the snow blower andare not removable. Other existing devices utilize long arms extending infront of, and to the sides of, the snow blower making the device muchmore difficult to wield.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a shovel blade having a bottom edge, a top edge, aleft edge, a right edge, a front face, and a back face. A frame iscoupled to the shovel blade. The frame has a horizontal portionextending from the back face of the shovel blade and a vertical portionextending from the horizontal portion above the top edge of the shovelblade. The vertical portion is coupled to the left edge and the rightedge of the shovel blade. A plurality of attachment brackets is coupledto the frame. The plurality of attachment brackets includes a pair ofupper attachment brackets coupled to a top end of the vertical portionof the frame and a pair of lower attachment brackets coupled to a bottomend of the vertical portion of the frame. The upper attachment bracketsare configured to pivotably engage an auger housing of a snow blower andthe lower attachment brackets are configured to selectively engage theauger housing.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a snow blower shovel attachment apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through6 thereof, a new snow shovel device embodying the principles andconcepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated bythe reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the snow blower shovelattachment apparatus 10 generally comprises a shovel blade 12 having abottom edge 14, a top edge 16, a left edge 18, a right edge 20, a frontface 22, and a back face 24. The front face 22 may have a taperedportion 26 adjacent the bottom edge 14 to more effectively shovel snow.The front face 22 may also have a plurality of ridges 28 to direct thesnow while shoveled.

A frame 30 is coupled to the shovel blade 12. The frame 30 has ahorizontal portion 32 extending from the back face 24 of the shovelblade and a vertical portion 34 extending from the horizontal portion 32to above the top edge 16 of the shovel blade. The horizontal portion ofthe frame 32 may have a left horizontal portion 36 coupled to the backface 24 of the shovel blade proximal the left edge 18, a righthorizontal portion 38 coupled to the back face 24 of the shovel bladeproximal the right edge 20, and a medial horizontal portion 40 extendingbetween the left horizontal portion 36 and the right horizontal portion38. The vertical portion 34 of the frame may have a left verticalportion 42 and a right vertical portion 44 coupled to the left edge 18and the right edge 20 of the shovel blade, respectively. A plurality ofgussets 46 may be coupled to the left horizontal portion 36 and theright horizontal portion 38 of the frame. The plurality of gussets 46 iscoupled between the horizontal portion 32 and the back face 24 of theshovel blade and between the horizontal portion 32 and the verticalportion 34 of the frame for improved structural integrity. Each gusset46 may have a curved outer edge 48.

A plurality of attachment brackets 50 is coupled to the frame 30. Theplurality of attachment brackets 50 includes a pair of upper attachmentbrackets 52 coupled to a top end 54 of the vertical portion 34 of theframe and a pair of lower attachment brackets 56 coupled to a bottom end58 of the vertical portion 34 of the frame. Each attachment bracket 50of the plurality of attachment brackets may extend perpendicularly tothe vertical portion 34 of the frame and has a rounded distal end 60.

Each of the upper attachment brackets 52 may have a pivot aperture 62proximal the distal end 60 and a locking aperture 64. Each of the lowerattachment brackets 56 may have an attachment aperture 66. A pair ofhinge bolts 68 is configured to pivotably couple the pivot aperture 62of each upper attachment bracket to an auger housing 70 of a snow blower72. The locking aperture 64 of each upper attachment bracket receives apair of quick release pins 74 configured to selectively engage a pair ofstore position apertures 76 of the auger housing of the snow blower tomaintain the apparatus 10 in an upright store position as shown in FIG.4. The attachment aperture 66 of each of the lower attachment bracketsreceives the pair of quick release pins 74 to selectively engage a pairof use position apertures 78 of the auger housing of the snow blower tomaintain the apparatus 10 in a use position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

As seen in FIG. 6, a pair of headlights 80 may be coupled to the shovelblade 12. Each headlight 80 has a light housing 82, a bulb 84, a battery86 in operational communication with the bulb 84, and a control switch88 in operational communication with the battery 86. Each light housing82 may be cuboidal and coupled to the top edge 16 of the shovel bladeadjacent the vertical portion 34 of the frame. The control switch 88 maybe coupled to a handle 90 of the snow blower.

In use, the pair of hinge bolts 68 is used to mount the apparatus 10 tothe snow blower 72. The pair of quick release pins 74 is then used tolock the apparatus 10 in either the store position to use the snowblower 72 normally or in the use position when the snow is too wet fornormal snow blowing. The snow blower 72 then serves to drive the shovelblade 12 to act as a snow plow.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

I claim:
 1. A snow blower shovel attachment apparatus comprising: ashovel blade, the shovel blade having a bottom edge, a top edge, a leftedge, a right edge, a front face, and a back face; a frame coupled tothe shovel blade, the frame having a horizontal portion extending fromthe back face of the shovel blade and a vertical portion extending fromthe horizontal portion to above the top edge of the shovel blade, thevertical portion being coupled to the left edge and the right edge ofthe shovel blade; and a plurality of attachment brackets coupled to theframe, the plurality of attachment brackets including a pair of upperattachment brackets coupled to a top end of the vertical portion of theframe and a pair of lower attachment brackets coupled to a bottom end ofthe vertical portion of the frame, the upper attachment brackets beingconfigured to pivotably engage an auger housing of a snow blower, thelower attachment brackets being configured to selectively engage theauger housing of the snow blower.
 2. The snow blower shovel attachmentapparatus of claim 1 further comprising a pair of headlights coupled tothe shovel blade, each headlight having a light housing, a bulb, abattery in operational communication with the bulb, and a control switchin operational communication with the battery.
 3. The snow blower shovelattachment apparatus of claim 2 further comprising each light housingbeing cuboidal and coupled adjacent the vertical portion of the frame.4. The snow blower shovel attachment apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising the horizontal portion of the frame having a left horizontalportion coupled to the back face of the shovel blade proximal the leftedge, a right horizontal portion coupled to the back face of the shovelblade proximal the right edge, and a medial horizontal portion extendingbetween the left horizontal portion and the right horizontal portion. 5.The snow blower shovel attachment apparatus of claim 4 furthercomprising a plurality of gussets coupled to the left horizontal portionand the right horizontal portion of the frame, the plurality of gussetsbeing coupled between the horizontal portion and the back face of theshovel blade and between the horizontal portion and the vertical portionof the frame.
 6. The snow blower shovel attachment apparatus of claim 5further comprising each gusset having a curved outer edge.
 7. The snowblower shovel attachment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising thevertical portion of the frame having a left vertical portion and a rightvertical portion coupled to the left edge and the right edge of theshovel blade, respectively.
 8. The snow blower shovel attachmentapparatus of claim 1 further comprising each attachment bracket of theplurality of attachment brackets extending perpendicularly to thevertical portion of the frame and having a rounded distal end, each ofthe upper attachment brackets having a pivot aperture proximal thedistal end and a locking aperture, each of the lower attachment bracketshaving an attachment aperture, a pair of hinge bolts being configured topivotably couple the pivot aperture of each upper attachment bracket tothe auger housing of the snow blower, the locking aperture of each upperattachment bracket receiving a pair of quick release pins configured toselectively engage a pair of store position apertures of the augerhousing of the snow blower, the attachment aperture of each of the lowerattachment brackets receiving the pair of quick release pins toselectively engage a pair of use position apertures of the auger housingof the snow blower.
 9. A snow blower shovel attachment apparatuscomprising: a shovel blade, the shovel blade having a bottom edge, a topedge, a left edge, a right edge, a front face, and a back face; a framecoupled to the shovel blade, the frame having a horizontal portionextending from the back face of the shovel blade and a vertical portionextending from the horizontal portion to above the top edge of theshovel blade, the horizontal portion of the frame having a lefthorizontal portion coupled to the back face of the shovel blade proximalthe left edge, a right horizontal portion coupled to the back face ofthe shovel blade proximal the right edge, and a medial horizontalportion extending between the left horizontal portion and the righthorizontal portion, the vertical portion of the frame having a leftvertical portion and a right vertical portion coupled to the left edgeand the right edge of the shovel blade, respectively; a plurality ofgussets coupled to the left horizontal portion and the right horizontalportion of the frame, the plurality of gussets being coupled between thehorizontal portion and the back face of the shovel blade and between thehorizontal portion and the vertical portion of the frame, each gussethaving a curved outer edge; a plurality of attachment brackets coupledto the frame, the plurality of attachment brackets including a pair ofupper attachment brackets coupled to a top end of the vertical portionof the frame and a pair of lower attachment brackets coupled to a bottomend of the vertical portion of the frame, each attachment bracket of theplurality of attachment brackets extending perpendicularly to thevertical portion of the frame and having a rounded distal end, each ofthe upper attachment brackets having a pivot aperture proximal thedistal end and a locking aperture, each of the lower attachment bracketshaving an attachment aperture, a pair of hinge bolts being configured topivotably couple the pivot aperture of each upper attachment bracket toan auger housing of a snow blower, the locking aperture of each upperattachment bracket receiving a pair of quick release pins configured toselectively engage a pair of store position apertures of the augerhousing of the snow blower, the attachment aperture of each of the lowerattachment brackets receiving the pair of quick release pins toselectively engage a pair of use position apertures of the auger housingof the snow blower; and a pair of headlights coupled to the shovelblade, each headlight having a light housing, a bulb, a battery inoperational communication with the bulb, and a control switch inoperational communication with the battery, each light housing beingcuboidal and coupled adjacent the vertical portion of the frame.